New track prep (3 Viewers)

[camaro]

The crash happened after the finish line. How much track prep do they do after the finish line?

ya don't have to convince me, i'm just sayin', i can imagine a lawyer hearing, track prep was reduced and subsequently a death occurred. that's like dropping a cup of blood in a shark tank !! ..... by the way, doesn't all drivers sign a waiver before entering a national event ? so in theory why does nhra need to be insured at all, against driver injuries !! my guess is they (lawyers) have away to get around, said waiver and therefore lots of insurance is required.

 

[stitcherbob]

by the way, doesn't all drivers sign a waiver before entering a national event ? so in theory why does nhra need to be insured at all, against driver injuries !! my guess is they (lawyers) have away to get around, said waiver and therefore lots of insurance is required.

see "Lori Johns"

 

[RM FAN]

I think Bob needs to spend 12 months under a modern day fuel team's awning, 1963 was a long time ago.

Good luck with that Tony as most of these guys are obviously stuck in the 60's.

 

[Sean D, shondoo]

One last thing, you are WAY out of line suggesting that the track prep had anything to do with the tragedy in Atlanta. The only cars affected are the Nitro cars, the Alcohol cars and everyone else had more than enough track. Track prep for 10,000 HP being cut back won't bother a car making 1500. Just as at a Divisional event, they don't prep for Top Fuel, and that doesn't make it unsafe for everyone else.

Absolutely. That statement was entirely off the mark.

For that matter, I'm actually surprised that these issues don't happen more often. Not necessarily deaths, but top-end accidents with this high-speed brake/throttle ripping racing. Especially the suspended cars. As a whole, these guys and gals do an outstanding job at the finish line.

Sean D

 

[PJ]

Seems a bit far off to blame track prep for that accident. What is the solution for a divisional event or your regular weekend at your local track?

 

[Bob K.]

Bob,
Not sure why you are calling me out, nobody likes Class cars more than me. Heck, I still own my '67 Mustang from high school. I love Stock and Super Stock. But those "Good Old Days" How much track prep was there? And how much did you HATE when a Funny Car would blow up and they would send the Stockers down the track because they had no way to clean up the oil and put rubber down except sending cars down the track? I actually remember being in the lanes hoping someone would blow up so I might get to run. I remember getting up early to go the the staging lanes and sitting there for 6 hours because they were running the "Fast" cars and I wasn't one of them. And they didn't run certain classes all at once, they would just take 10 cars from this lane, then 20 cars from that lane. Remember that?

The NHRA didn't invent throttle stop racing the racers did. (I remember stutter boxes, that was worse) Just like NHRA didn't invent rebuilding the engines every run. The racers did. It's all about the money? I'm not sure where you're going with that. NHRA doesn't sell electronics.

At Fremont did they run Top Fuel at the division races?

I'm not saying that everything is better than it used to be, but a lot of it is. And you have been around long enough to know that you can't go back, you can only go forward. I also think that as an engineer you are thinking backward about the smaller pump or overdrive restrictions. Would love to discuss that with you.

One last thing, you are WAY out of line suggesting that the track prep had anything to do with the tragedy in Atlanta. The only cars affected are the Nitro cars, the Alcohol cars and everyone else had more than enough track. Track prep for 10,000 HP being cut back won't bother a car making 1500. Just as at a Divisional event, they don't prep for Top Fuel, and that doesn't make it unsafe for everyone else.

I'm typing in a discussion tone not an argumentative one.
Alan

Alan, Of all people to "call out" it would NEVER be you. I know you are a car guy,

I think Bob needs to spend 12 months under a modern day fuel team's awning, 1963 was a long time ago.

I have. My neighbor in Discovery Bay CA was David Baca. I know a lot about those cars, (but I don't claim to be an expert at all!) especially the carnage of parts when the nitro was 85%! and btw I was too old even then to be in the middle of the between rounds thrash. Hope to see you at the races, I know I've seen you many times in the past.
Of course drag racing is still exciting as hell or I wouldn't still be going! I only had to quit racing for a decade and a half because my corporate insurance wouldn't permit it. I still did some door slammer racing though. You are right about divisional races back in the old days, Top Fuel and Funny Cars and Pro Stock did run
those events. Maybe these races of today could be spiced up with Nostalgia Funny Cars or Top Fuel. Just a thought. As far as the terrible Top Sportsman accident I'm wrong, I only posed it as a possibility but in retrospect the Alcohol cars had no problem. My Bad!! The thing I maybe didn't emphasize about the "good old days" was that I was young and I spent a lot of money and time looking forward to each weekend figuring out ways to go faster. I hope I never lose my enthusiasm for this great sport but if it goes to eighth mile, I guess I'll be done. darn it.

 

[FABMAN]

Looks like prep today. Dragging and Glueing today !!!

 

[stitcherbob]

Coca Cola and VHT?

 

[Bubba]

Someone didn't tell David Grubnic.

 

[TooTall999]

Looks like prep today. Dragging and Glueing today !!!

They've been dragging and glueing, just reduced the glue to alcohol ratio so it's not as sticky.

 

[Bob K.]

Good luck with that Tony as most of these guys are obviously stuck in the 60's.

I have spent more than a year working on A/Fuel AND Top Fuel cars but that was 16 years ago, they have changed a lot but we used up a lot of parts then.

 

[Bob K.]

Someone didn't tell David Grubnic.

Bet they used up a lot of clutch discs, you could see the dust flying! Heck of a run though!